Contaminants in water that nourish organisms, especially plants. Includes nitrogen and phosphorus, either of which can lead to the harmful growth of algae and other plants when present to excess in a body of water.

Water quality is important here because this reservoir is the primary supply for Wichita, Kansas. Due to low streamflow during the monitoring period, we expect suspended sediment and phosphorus to be more variable in the future.

Stream discharge and nitrate concentration increased downstream of the burned area during snowmelt, but these were probably within the treatment capacity of most drinking-water plants, and limited changes were observed in downstream ecosystems.